| When considering touring Italy, most
| |
| | Roman era, sophistication and great
|
| visitors probably want to see the major
| |
| | beauty. The ancient heart of the city
|
| cities of Florence, Rome, Venice.
| |
| | contains a huge amphitheatre built by the
|
| Without a doubt, these are the highlights
| |
| | Romans in the 1st century AD. This
|
| for a reason. But smaller towns can
| |
| | arena, one of the largest outside of the
|
| provide a better understanding of Italian
| |
| | Roman coliseum, is now restored and used
|
| history and offer their own fascination.
| |
| | as an opera house during the summer
|
| These places were the backdrop for the
| |
| | season. It makes up one side of the
|
| struggle for power that comprised much of
| |
| | Piazza Bra, the gracious town square.
|
| the drama of Italian history.Cremona,
| |
| | The tourist information office is also
|
| founded by the Romans in 218 BC, is quite
| |
| | located there.Even if you don't come
|
| simply the violin capital of the world.
| |
| | during the opera season, there is the
|
| The streets are lined with the shops of
| |
| | lure of romance at 23 Via Cappello,
|
| makers of all manner of stringed
| |
| | Juliet's House. The story of Romeo and
|
| instruments. You can see a demonstration
| |
| | Juliet has some basis in truth. The
|
| of violin-making and make a visit to the
| |
| | house and its balcony form a popular
|
| collezione di Palazzo Comunale where the
| |
| | attraction. Verona also has intimate
|
| town collection is on display. These
| |
| | street markets lined with buildings still
|
| beloved instruments - the oldest by
| |
| | showing their early frescoes (Piazza
|
| Andrea Amati dates back to 1566 - are
| |
| | delle Erbe) and elegant shopping streets
|
| played regularly to keep them in good
| |
| | paved with marble (Via Mazzini).Called
|
| physical condition.It's hard to miss the
| |
| | the capital of the Este family, who
|
| town's connection with Stradivarius, who
| |
| | flourished around the 13th to 15th
|
| is perhaps the most famous of the
| |
| | centuries, Ferrara is famous for its wide
|
| illustrious line of violin-makers of
| |
| | streets and Renaissance palaces.
|
| Cremona. The Stradivarian Museum
| |
| | Originally a medieval town, by the end of
|
| contains objects from his workshop,
| |
| | the 1400s the city was sufficiently
|
| there's a statue to him on the Piazza
| |
| | prosperous that Duke Ercole I
|
| Stradivari and there's the Tomb of
| |
| | commissioned an architect to create a new
|
| Stradivari in the Piazza Roma. The
| |
| | Renaissance city and join it to the older
|
| International Violinmakers School is also
| |
| | medieval section. The project included
|
| located in Cremona at the Palazzo
| |
| | constructing new palaces, villas and
|
| Raimondi. If you aren't on a tour, your
| |
| | parks with a clearly more modern and airy
|
| first stop should be the tourist
| |
| | feel. Here again, try to arrange for a
|
| information office in the Piazza del
| |
| | tour of the castles. It is the history,
|
| Comune, for a map and information.Parma
| |
| | the stories of the people who lived,
|
| is the next stop and it is indeed the
| |
| | loved and fought that brings meaning to
|
| home of the famed Parma ham and
| |
| | these stone buildings.Ferrara is best
|
| Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Although
| |
| | known for its University founded in 1222,
|
| famous for its food, Parma was once the
| |
| | among the oldest in Europe and the
|
| capital of a grand duchy ruled over by
| |
| | Scrovegni Chapel with its frescoes
|
| the Farnese family. It was, for a time,
| |
| | produced by the artist Giotto. There are
|
| a possession of Austria. It is also
| |
| | 36 frescoes depicting the lives of Mary
|
| known for a scent produced locally,
| |
| | and Jesus. Plant lovers will probably
|
| Violetta di Parma.The town associated
| |
| | want to visit the Botanical Garden
|
| with the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi
| |
| | founded in 1545 containing rare plants
|
| is Roncole where he was born. It has
| |
| | and the old library and botany collection
|
| since changed its name to Roncole-Verdi
| |
| | of the University.Without a doubt, Venice
|
| in his honor. His home is the main
| |
| | deserves its reputation. It is a
|
| attraction of the tiny village. His
| |
| | heart-breakingly beautiful city. Built
|
| professional career began when Antonio
| |
| | on 117 separate islands, Venice has an
|
| Barezzi, a wealthy merchant, asked him to
| |
| | extensive water bus system (as well as
|
| move to Busseto and become a music
| |
| | water taxis) rather than ground
|
| teacher for his daughter, Margherita.
| |
| | transportation. It has narrow paths,
|
| Barezzi became not only Verdi's patron,
| |
| | houses whose front doors literally open
|
| but also his father-in-law when Verdi
| |
| | onto the water and no cars and around
|
| married Margherita in 1836. A monument
| |
| | every corner is a canal and a bridge and
|
| to Verdi overlooks the town square, which
| |
| | one magnificent building after another.
|
| is also the site of the annual Verdi
| |
| | But it is also a tourist magnet with all
|
| Festival. There is, of course, a museum
| |
| | the problems that go with that
|
| to the famous son and a tiny gem of a
| |
| | popularity.The cruise ships pull in and
|
| theatre built in his honor. It is said
| |
| | disgorge thousands of visitors who line
|
| that Verdi never actually set foot in the
| |
| | up to visit St. Mark's Basilica, buy
|
| theater which opened in 1868. Verdi was
| |
| | gelato in the Piazza San Marco and stroll
|
| against building it, saying the theater
| |
| | along the Grand Canal. And for some
|
| was too expensive and would be useless in
| |
| | reason you won't be able to understand,
|
| the future. But the town fathers went
| |
| | they like to feed the pigeons and have
|
| ahead regardless of his resistance. He
| |
| | their picture taken covered in birds.
|
| was absent at its opening even though one
| |
| | Venice is also a big city with the hustle
|
| of his most famous operas, Rigoletto, was
| |
| | and bustle of commerce. Part of that
|
| performed. The elegant theater has been
| |
| | commerce is the lucrative tourist trade.
|
| restored and reopened, but in a sense
| |
| | There's no shortage of shops catering to
|
| Verdi was right. It only holds 300
| |
| | visitors selling Venetian masks, Murano
|
| people.As you journey from one city to
| |
| | glass and more.Venice is divided into
|
| another, it soon becomes clear that the
| |
| | sestieres or boroughs. The most famous
|
| history of Italy is intertwined with the
| |
| | is San Marco which contains the major
|
| story of the Gonzagas, one of the richest
| |
| | sights. Visit the Galleria dell'Academia
|
| and most powerful families. Mantova was
| |
| | with its collection of Venetian masters
|
| the seat of that dynasty. The 500-room
| |
| | and the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery with its
|
| Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale) took
| |
| | more modern works. Stand near the Bridge
|
| centuries to build. The Palazzo Te,
| |
| | of Sighs that links the Doges' Palace to
|
| built by Federigo Gonzaga for his
| |
| | the old prisons.The pity of Venice is
|
| mistress, stands outside of the walled
| |
| | that it is sinking into the lagoon.
|
| part of the city. Mantova has ancient
| |
| | During rains the water can rise up and
|
| stone churches, many small shops, lovely
| |
| | cover the piazzas, seep into hotel
|
| squares and sidewalk cafes.If it isn't
| |
| | lobbies and threaten the viability of a
|
| already, Verona may become your favorite
| |
| | beautiful marvel of engineering. And in
|
| city. It has everything, tumultuous
| |
| | the summer it is overrun with tourists.
|
| history, ruins stretching back to the
| |
| | But see it anyway. It is worth it.
|
